


Crossing Paths

by ScentedBooks



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fast and the Furious Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Brotherly Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Gay Billy Hargrove, I Love You, I will add more as I go, It's just racing, Jonathans a mechanic, Lesbian Robin Buckley, M/M, POV Billy Hargrove, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Slow Burn, Steve Harrington Has PTSD, Steve Harrington-centric, Steve races cars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-01-28 22:33:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21399706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScentedBooks/pseuds/ScentedBooks
Summary: Steve concentrates his issues into racing people on the streets, making a name for himself that's completely hidden in the real world, The Steve that goes to classes quietly, makes good grades, and keeps mostly to himself.Then Billy Hargrove inserts himself into Steve's life and it all changes from there.Edit: July 21st, 2020This fic has not been abandoned I promise. My attention span has recently left and my energy to continue the final portions of this fic haven’t come to my brain yet. I will finish it but it may be a little while.I hope you all understand ❤️
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86





	1. Anxiety

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to be a 5 in 1 and it might still be. I just get distracted and ramble. I've been thinking about a fast and furious typa AU forever.... so here that is.

Steve, for the lack of better word, _hates_ English class. He’s come to this singular conclusion as he continuously sits at his seat in the lecture hall and stares blankly out the window. The lecture room is to small and cramped with people even as he sits by the window, just to _see_ what’s happening outside. 

None of this shit _even matters_. 

This class is really unfortunate, because Steve enjoys coming to class. He likes learning. His _brain_ has a hard time paying attention on most days. The ridiculous list of medication he’s on for all his _issues_ that Dr. Owens gave him really don’t help keep his attention.

Dustin and all the other little shits have given him the chance to really appreciate the sciences, and he’s come to terms with the fact that he’s actually _pretty good_ at biology and all that shit. 

But 

_But_

He thinks about the things that lurk, and the _pain_ in his fucking leg that’ll never go away and the scars that run down his shoulder and into his torso, and the claw marks down his fucking neck that he _hides_ with a scarf, only the tip of it peeking out below his chin.

Thank fuck its cold.

He hears Nancy in the back of his mind, telling him to _focus_. That whatever the professor is talking about is important and he will need it to at least try and write his paper without her help, or at least tell her what the hell the paper is supposed to be about. 

His hands continue to fist into the sleeves of the ends of his long sleeve shirt. He grips the fabric of his shirt so tight that the fabric starts to weaken under his grip, stretching the color away from the blue of the sleeve as he grips 

_Tighter_

_Tighter_

A large hand snapping down on his wrist pauses his movements, shocking his hands to release and the focus of his eyes to return and look at none other than 

Oh.

_Billy Hargrove_

The guy who came into the university and made his presence _known_. 

He made Steve nervous in a way he didn’t feel nervous anymore. Not since _King Steve_ he thought with disgust, died his freshman year at this shit hole of a school his dad paid for him to go too. 

_This guy_

Was looking at him like _like_ he was concerned and annoyed at the same time and Steve finally made contact with the blue eyes, the bluest eyes on the planet, that made him feel like _like_ he mattered, and he didn’t _understand_ why this guy, _This guy_ who was all fire and cigarettes who did whatever he wanted and people just flocked towards him like birds was looking at him like _that_.

Steve let go of his sleeves and murmured a soft, “Sorry.” Before looking away from those eyes and back out the window trying to ignore the clock ticking by across the room. 

_Tick_

_Tick_

His leg was shaking now, not the one that _hurt_ all the fucking time, but his other one, the one closest to _him_. And he just wished the clock would tell him time was up so he could go meet up with Robin, the one person here that _knew_ how he felt, and they could just lay down in his bed at their apartment and not move for the rest of the damn day

And

A hand sat itself on his leg, effectively stopping its movements and Steve startles slightly at the touch that _burns_ his leg and makes his throat tight, and _confuses_ him because because Billy doesn’t understand _why_ he shakes and moves, and tightens, and they barely see one another outside of this class because Steve leaves this place as much as he can and just goes _home_ to the safety of his apartment where Russians and fucking demi-dogs cant get to him and his bed is there, and there’s no government paperwork in this apartment talking about silence. 

And

"Hey."

He looks sharply over at Billy who’s looking at him in concern _again_. Because this isn’t the first time Steve had silently freaked out in class next to this guy, he barely knows next to him, and apparently now _touches_ him. 

And

Steve gets up out of his seat and leaves the room. 

Pulls out his phone as the door glides closed and makes his way outside and into the cold before texting Robin and walking, walking so fast towards his motorcycle, and its 35 degrees and he’s on a fucking motorcycle because he refuses to drive his precious car in this type of weather, because he _needs_ that car to race on the streets, because it’s the only thing in this world that makes him feel free, with other people who need to feel that freedom. 

And

His names being called as he swings his leg over the seat of the motorcycle, with his helmet securely in his hands, and he’s freezing his ass off but _Billy Hargrove_ is making his way over to him with an expression that Steve doesn’t understand. 

Because this guy is loud and obnoxious. He doesn’t wear a coat in this weather, he has a light jacket on like its not the end of autumn, and basically dark in the early afternoon, and they make eye contact as Billy comes closer to Steve, shaking his fucking leg on the ground as he sits on his bike.

It’s cold. 

Everything in Steve’s brain is telling him to start the fucking bike and floor it and leave Billy standing there on the pavement because they don’t know each other that well, and a part of Steve is still _freaking_ out. But, he doesn’t want to deal with whatever Billy will do if he _does_ leave, because it's Billy fucking Hargrove, the guy who told Tommy to _fuck off_ and then pushed him to the ground and Steve really didn’t want to be a part of that.

He’s done good, he has strived to stay out of the way. Come to class, and then leave. He doesn’t play sports anymore; he gets good grades. Less people pay attention to him now. 

And

Billy Hargrove is standing right next to him. 

He standing there with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, looking at Steve like he didn’t just leave class and follow him out here.

“Whatcha doin’ gorgeous?” Billy asks with that sickly-sweet smile and Steve’s heart beats a little faster, and he grips the helmet in his hands, 

“I’m goin’ home.” He answers, gesturing to his bike, putting on the professionally structured ‘I’m good’ expression before looking back into those blue eyes, “That alright with you man?” 

Billy’s expression shifts slightly but the smile stays in place, “’Course pretty boy, just wanna make sure your alright.” 

Steve shrugged his shoulders, “Just got a little warm, needed to cool offa bit, figured…” he waved his hand at the bike, “this could do the trick.”

He turns his body forward and starts up the bike, reeling in the feeling of the engine beneath him and goes to put his helmet on, 

“Be careful Harrington.” Billy drawls, “Keep your gorgeous ass safe.”

Steve can feel his face heat up and pretends its from the cold, “See you later Hargrove.” And puts his helmet on to help hide the flush of his face and rides off. 

Directly ignoring the standing figure watching him leave.


	2. That Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy discovers something new about Steve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billy's POV  
Full of racing, and Billy thirsting over Steve  
Hope you enjoy :)
> 
> My Tumblr:  
@ScentedBooks  
Back-up:  
@steviebaby
> 
> You can contact me on either :)

Billy stood in the mass of people. Cars and bikes of all types surrounded him. People were dancing and watching _waiting_ for someone to show up. The girl from _somewhere_ on his class schedule Robin? That’s probably it, she’s here. And she’s talking on the phone to _someone_ to get here.

“You got 4 minutes. Get here.” She states to _whoever_ it is and hangs up her phone. 

And the music is loud and the people here are _just like_ California, but he’s in Miami. Surrounded by people he doesn’t know and faces he doesn’t care about and its exhilarating. The people here are _fast_ and they know it. His feet feel like they're vibrating as cars arrive and people dance and yell and nothing is the same here as it is outside of this world of closed off streets and dangerous cars full of people who _know_ what they’re doing. 

A car revving and the crowd moving grab his attention. From where he’s standing, he can only see the tip of the cars wing as people place their hands on it, hollering and yelling as the driver and the car come forward, into the line with the three others already in place. 

He catches the headlights first, his eyebrows raise in surprise, it’s a supra. 

A brand new one, its sleek, it looks like the galaxy, a _beautiful_ car. Colored in blues and pinks, with the hints of purple that tie everything together, with stickers and carbon that show everyone what's so special. There's a small decal on the back window, '@StevieBaby' in cursive writing. 

A car he can respect, even though he prefers old American muscle. His Camaro proves of that. 

The thing is, it doesn’t sound like a supra, _not anymore_. Its loud, ear ringing.

Robin’s voice carries through, “There’s our fourth right there.”

He hears the girl closest to him, “Fuck, It’s _Stevie_.”

The engine reeves and one of the guys in line lowers his head while the other laughs and the car shuts off. 

Steve Harrington steps out of it with a smile on his face, violent scars stretch down his throat, stretching the skin ragged. Scars that make the blood in Billy’s chest seize in possession.

_Who?_

And

He walks right up to Robin and they do a small handshake and he hears _that voice_, “Thanks for the invite Rob.” 

“No problem at all Stevie, they got deep pockets.” She grins large, all her teeth gleaming, he returns the gesture.

“Do they?” he asks and turns to the three people sitting on the hood of their cars, and his long legs are in _bright blue_ fucking pants that sit tightly around his waist holding the white t-shirt in the band as he smiles sweetly at them, and opens his plump lips, 

“How you doin baby?” he asks, tilting his head towards the girl, his long hair falling a bit outta place, she’s a pretty thing, drives a real pretty pink car. She smiles headily, 

“Doin’ good Stevie, thanks for asking.”

“What do you say about racing for something special?” Steve asks.

“Hey! Nobody said anything about racing for cash amigo!” a tanned man, easily twice Steve’s size yelled out. 

Steve just smiled, “Then you tell these nice people all around your car to move so you can go home.” 

Billy sucked in a breath at the tone of voice, the _Steve Harrington_ he knew on campus was nothing like this Steve, _Stevie_ they called him. His tongue slid over his teeth as the people around him made noise at his words, like he was someone in charge around here. 

Everyone here, _knew_ this Steve. 

Billy wanted to soak in the venom of _this_ person. The easy confidence he radiated, the easy smiles. Wanted to know both sides of Steve Harrington. Wanted to know why he was such a different person, in this caged course of freedom Billy could _feel_ as soon as he set foot on the sidewalk on this side of town. 

He could see Max in the distance, standing next to a curly haired teenager and what looked to be his friends. She nodded at him when she glanced but brought her attention fully back on Steve, a smirk firmly on her face. 

_She knows this Steve._

The tanned mans voice filters though, “Okay, 3500.”

Steve smiles, “_Seguro._” And he takes out the money from his pocket, all _cash_, and puts it into Robins awaiting hand and turns around to walk to his car. 

Billy watches as he opens the drivers side door and looks up into the crowd and the bright _big_ bambi eyes look at him in surprise, that pretty _pretty_ smile dropping off of his face as Billy gives him a cheshire grin and wave with all five fingers. 

Steve turns around and gets into his car, and the engine fires up once more as Steve grips his steering wheel, _tight_, and those pools don’t break eye contact with Billy as he listens to Robin yell and tell people to ,”Back up! Gotta surprise for you all this evening!”

All the cars ready themselves as Steve’s eyes finally _finally_ drift from Billy’s blue ones. 

Billy doesn’t look away. 

_That Fire._

Steve’s eyes are focused and full of life that could set anything ablaze. He’s clearly in his element here. 

“GO!” Robin’s voice breaks the spell. 

And Steve takes off, Billy has no choice but to follow the crowd, he feels intertwined with this experience as he sees the cars leave in the distance. His chest feels on fire that Steve _knows_ he’s here tonight.

They aren’t friends, if anything they’re just classmates. But this particular classmate Billy hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of since _Day 1_ when the guy walked into the room and sat down next to Billy without even sparing him a _glance_, like he didn’t even know he was sitting _right there_. Just took his lean body and laid back against the chair and stared out the window _looking_ for someone, like he was expecting something.

He wore a stupid fucking scarf, _every single day_, but now Billy knows he saw them. 

The scratches down his neck, the scarf was _hiding_ them, and he itched to know why. Wanted to see the expansion of skin that he hid from the world he was floating in the seams of. 

Not this one. 

Where he was fire and fast cars, with neck and arms and _and his legs_ on full display with defined pants instead of the joggers he wore around campus. 

Billy was _dying_.

He liked the Steve on campus, even with his nervousness and his shakes and slow pace. The boy was magnetic, and _here_ in his element, Billy _needed_ this. Wanted to know both of these people as he watched two out of the four cars come towards the new location of the crowd, 

One of those cars were Steve.

Robin cackled behind him on the radio and the bridge lifted up, slowly _slowly_ raised from its place connected to the ground, and he looked around and Max was gone, and the others she was with were _gone_ and Billy watched as Steve’s car disappeared behind the rising bridge and Billy’s stomach lifted into his throat. 

His brain went quiet, but the crowd was hollering. 

And they all heard a smash from out of their vision and then _then_ the sound of the Steve’s car increased, the roar of the engine drew closer, and it jumped the man made ramp and Steve put his hand out of the window with a thumbs up and he heard Robin behind him, 

“Good job Dingus.”

And the car landed on the ground, sparks flying into the air as he drifted to the side and slid into the victory. 

It took mere seconds for people to surround the car, barely paying attention to the pink vehicle with the pretty lady inside pulling up behind Steve. 

Steve got out of his car with the biggest fucking smile on his face. He blew a kiss to the girl in the car behind him and he walked over to Robin and she handed him the stack of money. 

Steve laughed with her and walked out of the crowd and _shit_ he was coming right for Billy. A small smile replaced the bright one and he looked _nervous_, chewing on his bottom lip, teething it into his mouth before he finally made it to where he was standing in front of Billy, 

He put his hands in his pockets, “What’re you doin’ here Hargrove?”

Billy shrugged his shoulders, “My sister, she told me there’d be racin’ tonight, didn’t tell me your pretty face would be a part of it tho.” He stated, smirk growing on his face as he watched the blush glow down his neck. 

“Your sister?” Steve questioned, scrunching his nose.

_Jesus Christ_

“Yeah.” He laughed a bit, “Max? Short shit, long red hair?”

“Oh shit.” Steve’s mouth widened in surprise, and Billy’s shark smile grew as Steve ran his hand through his hair, “Guess she didn’t tell you I’m teaching her to drift then?” 

Billy’s eyes widened, “You’re….”

Police sirens sounded in the distance and Steve whipped his head around, grabbed Billy’s hand, “C’mon.” 

“Dustin! Get Max and Robin and meet me at the shop!” he yelled out, dragging Billy behind him.

“Got it Steve!” a voice yelled back to him among the crowd. 

Billy followed Steve as they ran to his car, “Get in.” he beckoned, 

How could Billy refuse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seguro: Sure


	3. Time Spent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve takes Billy to the garage  
Billy meets the family and learns important information  
The boys get closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha this isn't a 5 + 1 - That sailed lol 
> 
> Billy's POV 
> 
> I don't have a set schedule of updating, I write the chapter and immediately post it, so hopefully it stays on track 
> 
> Please kudos and comment if you like :) You don't have too!
> 
> Find me here:  
@ScentedBooks  
@StevieBaby  
Both on Tumblr

They pulled up to a brick building with a small black-haired woman standing outside looking at her phone, leaning up against the wall. She was chewing a piece of bubble gum, looking as though she’d rather be _anywhere_ else then where she was standing. 

She was a pretty girl, her curly black hair was in a high ponytail, and her bangs framed her face, _sunglasses_ of all things sat on her head, 

“That’s Heather.” Steve’s voice said, taking him out of thoughts, “She’s off limits though, Rob might have a problem with that.” He finished with a chuckle and clasped his shoulder, “Now c’mon.”

Steve _winked_ at him, and opened his car door before stepping out into the night and walking towards the door, 

“Hey Heather.” He stated kissing her check, “Rob will be here soon, Dustin’s driving.”

She laughed and leaned in, kissing his cheek back before replying, “Glad you made it safe Stevie, who’s this?” 

Steve moved his face towards Billy with a small nervous smile, that made his chest tight, “This is Billy, Max’s brother.” 

She greeted Billy before Steve opened the door and they went inside to loud music and people dancing _everywhere_, some greeted Steve, some just _stared_ at him, their eyes moving from the bottom of him all the way to the top of his head, and Billy _knew_ looks like that, looks that showed how _much_ people wanted someone else, the underlying lust in someone’s gaze as he wordlessly followed him through the crowd, 

Trying desperately to keep his eyes off of that _ass_ in _those_ pants. 

They made it to another door, and Steve sent him a bashful smile before opening it and going inside, the music left behind them as they made their way down a hallway covered in graffiti, that lead to another fucking door, there was a sign on the door that read, 

‘Party Members Only’

He opened that door, and the element of the building changed completely. There was no music in here, tools and cars surrounded the area. There were a couple of them on lifts, and some were in pieces. 

All of them were beautiful. 

Especially the 1960’s Camaro that was sitting in front of one of the garage doors. Billy’s eyes were locked on it, 

“See something you like?” Steve asked, Billy could _feel_ the smirk in his voice. 

Billy smiled in return, all teeth, “There’s a couple things in here that I _like_ lookin’ at.”

The blush went down Steve’s neck again, over the _scars_, “Make yourself comfortable okay? There’s a couch up those stairs on the balcony, I’ll be right back.” 

He walked away from Billy, and he couldn’t help but watch his _legs_ in those fuckin’ pants before he went inside of what looked like a bedroom and the door closed behind him. 

After staring at the door for too long that looked normal, Billy finally made his way up the staircase to the balcony that looked to the garage below, and _and_

The door Steve went into opened and Billy could help but glance, and _shit_ Steve was _shirtless_, going into the motion of putting a long sleeve shirt over his torso, and _holy shit_ there are _more_ scars that run down his body, but Billy only got a _glimpse_ before they were hidden away, and he has a fucking _butterfly_ tattooed on his chest, in the middle of his body, detailed and _gorgeous_ and the possession for something that wasn’t _his_ dug itself _deep_ into his gut, 

He wanted to see _more_. Wants to see more, but Steve covers himself up, _hides_ the expanse of skin like he’s afraid Billy will see it. 

“You still up there Hargrove?” Steve asks, walking towards the staircase.

And

He doesn’t know that Billy’s even having this dilemma, this _want_ that’s building deep in his gut, because _this_ Steve is _still_ the Steve that he spends his English class with, the Steve that leaves class because he’s shaking, the Steve that doses off while the professor drones on, and the Steve that drifts somewhere when he’s looking out the goddamn window and his ears stop taking in new information. 

And 

“Yeah pretty boy, I’m still here.” He replies, lighting up a cigarette as Steve plops down next to him on the couch, and Billy’s happy that Steve can’t hear his heart, it is beating out of his chest, and Billy feels excited to be here. 

Steve sighs, and those god gifted pants are gone, and he’s wearing _khakis_ in place of them before he sends Billy another smile, bright like the sun, “Everyone else is probably here, were all probably gonna be here all weekend, working on the cars, you’re welcome to join us.”

And he does. 

He _learns_ things with the group of people that he has inserted himself with. They all talk as if he belongs there, whether it's just him and Steve, or all of them working together. He learns that Steve adopted a curly haired kid who was loud and refused to call him _Stevie_, _‘were brothers’_ he’d told Billy, _‘brought me all the way down here from the middle of fuckin’ nowhere Indiana that was our hometown after my mom died, Robin tagged along. We learned to drive; we made a name for ourselves.’_

As he handed Jonathan tools while Steve went with Dustin to get food, he learned, _‘Steve and I hated each other back home, I slept with his fuckin’ girlfriend, but after we split up I came down here for school, ran into Steve and the little shits on accident, dude wrecked his car into a fuckin’ wall street racing some stupid guy who thought it’d be funny to slam his car into a wall going 130 down the side of a tunnel in the middle of the night.”_ Jonathan must’ve seen the anger in Billy’s eyes, _‘Don’t sweat shit man, Steve was good, car though, it was fucked, its Max’s now, she’s learning to drift with it, she’s gotta replace what’s broken though’_

Jonathan had laughed.

He gets his hands on the 1960’s Camaro with Robin Sunday morning before anyone else is awake, _‘Steve doesn’t drive this car anymore, hell he’d probably let you fuckin’ have it, thing was his uncles, only member in his family to give a shit about anyone but themselves, but dingus doesn’t drive cars like this, but you do.’_ And _‘but if I catch you two fuckin’ around anywhere that isn’t his bed in this damn shop or at the apartment by the campus, I’ll catch this car on fire.’_ With, _‘if you like him, be careful with him yeah? Everyone’s got shit they’ve gone through.’_

That only made Billy more curious, and infatuated. 

And

Sunday afternoon, he _finally_ got Steve to himself. Learned all kinda things, _‘I’m studying to teach science to little nerds, or any little kids really, kinda the only thing I’m interested in besides driving you know? I want them to love science as much as all of us do, would fuckin’ teach kindergarten.’_ And _‘you’re welcome here anytime you need to be Billy, someone’s always here, it might be Jonathan tho.’_ He’d laughed, _‘careful with that tho, guys gotta wicked right hook.’_

He’d called him Billy, and _that_ was his favorite way to hear his name from now on, comin’ outta that pretty mouth, in what sounded like happiness.

Sunday night, Steve took Billy back to his car, which was left in a parking garage all weekend, in honesty, Billy completely forgot about that. 

To busy spendin’ time with _Stevie._

As they said their goodbyes, Steve leaned in with the reddest face Billy’s ever seen, and those plump lips kissed his cheek with the softest pressure he’d felt from another person in years.

Billy felt that fire in his gut as he heard Robins voice, _‘be careful with him yeah?’_ and Billy is all hard lines and anger, with a temper that could put anyone to shame, but being kissed on the cheek like a middle schooler had Billy giving the softest smile as Steve backed away from him with a shy expression, 

“I’ll see you tomorrow Billy.” 

“See you tomorrow pretty boy.”

But Monday came around and Steve wasn’t there. 

And Tuesday came around and Robin wasn’t in class either. 

_Where the fuck_

_Did you go_

_Steve Harrington?_


	4. Hawkins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Robin are taken to Hawkins, things are pretty shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve's POV  
Violence Warning, Trigger Warning for blood & broken bones & car accidents  
Unnamed Character deaths  
Please be careful 
> 
> Overall this is all angst, and I'm sorry

Steve and Robin were in Hawkins. 

Not by _choice_.

He’d been on his way back to the shop, after dropping off Billy. Driving his car down the street, when he saw someone in his rear-view mirror _following_ him.

He did the only thing he knew how to do, he stepped on the gas.

He caused so many accidents in Miami that Sunday night, just _trying_ to get away from them, but every time he looked behind him, there was another SUV. He smashed them into walls, made them hit other cars, other moving cars, with people driving inside of them, _flipped_ them into sidewalks, but they just kept coming.

Turns out that running from the people who wanted his silence wasn’t the best plan.

They pummeled his car, not the supra, _thank god_ but it was Dustin’s beautiful Nissan 350z, the kid was going to kill him when he found out that met its fate when the SUV ran face first into the passenger side of the car, halting Steve’s speed and flipping him down the road.

_They’d left the car there._

After they dragged him out of it, of course. 

He was bloodied and was _sure_ of a concussion that happened when his head smashed into the steering wheel. Glass was beaten into his clothes, and a shard stuck out of his face, where it embedded itself as the car flipped,

Over

And Over

Before finally landing face down in the middle of the street.

And

They dragged him out of the car, his leg throbbing every single time it was caught on the pavement, but the unknown men paid him no mind as they hauled his half unconscious ass to _another_ SUV patiently waiting for them on the side of the road. 

They lifted him inside and he made blurry eye contact with Robin, who was _tied_ to the back seat. Properly kidnapped and sporting a black eye that Steve was sure to match in the next few hours.

_God_

He hoped Billy was okay. 

And

And

Neither of them spoke a word the entire trip, _even_ as they were hauled onto a fuckin’ plane and strapped _tight_ to those seats. Barely even _looked_ at one another as blood dripped down Steve’s face and damped his clothes from the glass, little pin pricks coming together on his skin that looked like he was bleedin’ out,

He couldn’t fuckin’ look down at himself without having a panic attack on a fuckin’ plane, where they were kidnapped and _taken_, they’d gotten away from this shit, and Steve knew, he _knew_ where they were going and he was scared, so _scared_ to go to the shithole they used to call a home. 

But

They didn’t have a choice but to follow.

And

Steve hates that Robin, got pulled into this _shit_ with him, from that night where they both got fucking drugged, and Steve got the shit beat outta him, and they almost _lost_ Heather to that fuckin’ monster, and no one noticed what was wrong with her, and Steve and Robin were both to _high_ on the drugs in their system to do anything but watch as that thing tried to rip her apart.

As Robin cried over the body of someone who was bleedin’ _everywhere_ on those marble floors that Hawkins’ mall had no right havin’ as he watched while he held Jane in his arms. 

And Robin’s eyes are no where around where Steve’s seein’. They're just staring into nothing, and god he hopes that they make it outta here alive, because they both got scars on their bodies from fightin’ the same fights, and going through hell for each other, and no one could replace Robin Buckley.

And after that they fought monsters together, after they thought it was all _over_, but that was just the _worst_ joke someone coulda told them, cause it was nowhere _near_ over and the demodogs and demogorgons came back with a frenzy, and they call just hadda _get out_ of there, and then one got Dustin’s _mom_ in his house and they needed to leave, 

And they did, they got outta that hell of their hometown, and these fuckers were takin' them right back into the mouth, and they _had_ to follow, there was no choice.

And Dustin, and Jonathan weren’t going to know where they _went. Just fuckin’ disappeared, and Billy, fuck _Billy_, was gonna be so pissed off, because Steve, he told him that he’d see him Monday, and he’d bet on his life, that it wasn’t gonna happen._

_Not now._

Not now that they were both hanging from the ceiling with chains wrapped around their arms, waiting to be moved into the lab if Steve could breathe clear enough for five seconds to just think.

And Steve knew that it wasn’t fucking Sunday anymore.

By the way the lights shown through the little windows, and the clinking of the metal keeping him in place as he wriggled his wrists from where they were aching, and he didn’t need a messed up arm to match his fucked up leg, and he looked over to Robin, where her arm was angled wrong, and he _knew_ that there had to be something wrong with it, and he hoped that it wasn’t broken, because there was no way they’d do anything to set her arm right now, and Steve just wanted to go _home_ and tell Billy he was okay, and wanted to see Robin smile as she hugged Heather.

He was so tired of this _shit._

They’d been outta here for almost four fuckin’ years. Silence and being left alone for three whole years after they signed documents and promised silence. Pretending that they were just college students that just had some _fun_ on the weekends. Steve's fingered itched to drive them outta here. Both of them were _seniors_ now, gettin’ their degrees and becoming people that _Dustin, Lucas,_ and _Max_ could be proud of. Doing it for Jane and Will who couldn’t come _home_ because they lived somewhere hidden with Joyce and Hopper for this _exact_ reason. Even doin’ it for Nancy and Mike who fucked off to who knows where. Steve only talks to Nancy now about revision over emails. And Mike, he’s somewhere in New York with Nancy. 

In their own way, everyone got the hell outta Hawkins. 

But Steve and Robin were _chained_ here again, by the same people who told them to leave and no one's told them anything.

Their phones on the table were going crazy with notifications., as they helplessly looked at each caller I.D appear and disappear from the screens.

Dustin

Jonathan

Lucas

Max

Heather

_Billy_

And after the sun went down, the door opened. and Steve's heart was beating out of his chest,

“I don’t understand why no one wants to come quietly anymore.” Dr. Brenner sneers, “Why’s everything need to be a chase with the both of you?”

Steve laughs, breathy and wrecked, “Didn’t even know you were alive.”

The man shrugs, “We’ve all got our tricks _Stevie._” 

He feels his face lose all color; how does he know that?

“Now, you’re going to tell me where 11 is, and we’ll let you go.”

Robin spit on his face, “We haven’t seen any of them since we left this shithole and you know that.”

Brenner wiped his face and smiled, a crooked thing that made Steve’s nerves jittery, “Then you’re just going to have to find them won't you, if _not_, I’ll just pay your new friends a little visit. Billy Hargrove, such a special boy. And _Heather Holloway_ the girl who lived because Dr. Owens saved her life, such a nice thing to do.”

He reached forward and grabbed the piece of glass sticking out of Steve’s face and _ripped_ it from the skin, causing Steve to let out a whimper from the pain.

“Wouldn’t want that to get infected.” He smirks, when the blood starts dripping from his face and tears gather in his eyes.

“I’ll come back in the morning to see if you have anything else to say.” He moved backwards before turning around and walking out, his voice drifting though. “Sleep well.”

Steve’s phone rang in the silence of the building while he tried to unhook the clasps around his wrists with the bobby pin from his hair, as he listened to Billy’s ringtone ping his phone _again._

As the door slammed shut Steve dropped to the floor and punched the first man in the face, ignoring the throbbing in his wrist, before shoving the second man into Robin, where she _tightened_ her legs around his neck and squeezed until he dropped to the floor, unconscious. 

Steve grabbed another bobby pin from his hair and unhooked Robin from her place hanging from the ceiling. She hissed when Steve touched her arm, 

“We’ve gotta get that checked out.” 

She gave him a stern look, “We’ve gotta get the fuck outta here.”

He pursed his lips, “We’ve gotta go to the hospital, tell them we wrecked our car, then fucking get the car from my parents’ house, and then we can get the fuck outta here, preferably before I start freaking the fuck out.”

With some rare little argument from Robin, they did. 

Her shoulder was dislocated, and her wrist _was_ broken, so they put a cast on her arm and placed a sling around her shoulder. They gave her an antibiotic for the bruising before Dr. Owens came in and shooed everyone out when it was Steve’s turn. 

“That needs stitches.” He commented and gestured to his face. 

“Ha, yeah I know.”

As Dr. Owens started stitching his face the adrenaline from the past three days started catching up with him.

He felt _exhausted._

His fingers were tapping rapidly against his thigh, carefully avoiding moving to fast from Dr. Owens to let him finish stitching him up, with each pierce to his skin and the chord going through to pull his skin back together, to pull _himself_ back together from this _shitshow_ that they only got themselves out of because adrenaline kicked in, and his fight or flight response told him to get the fuck outta there. 

And

It’s _gone_ now and he wants to sleep, and dream of nothing and drive his car and go the fuck _home._ And make sure everyone is okay, and that _Billy_ doesn’t find out about this.

Jesus Christ 

Dr. Owens pats his good leg softly and he stands up with a wince and a sharp pain in the other leg but ignores it for getting the fuck out of this town and _never_ come back, but Steve knows that thoughts like that are _bullshit_, because they’re looking for Jane and Will and Hopper and Joyce so they’re going to have to make sure that no one find them, 

Or they’re going to have to end this.

Steve would die to make sure they were all safe. He’s just going to make damn sure he doesn’t have too, that no one has too. He just wants it all to end, so he turns to Robin,

“Let’s go home.”


	5. Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy sees Steve on campus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billy's POV
> 
> Billy sees the car  
Steve's a lying liar who lies
> 
> Contact me:  
@ScentedBooks   
@StevieBaby 
> 
> both on Tumblr

Billy stood in the shop staring at the remains of Dustin’s beautiful 350z. 

It sat sadly on the tow truck that brought the residue back to the shop where Dustin and Jonathan were just sitting there, _staring_ at it. 

Like it betrayed them. 

The car was mutilated. Dustin had been sent a notification as soon as the car crashed, the panicked system within, letting the driver know that an accident had occurred, and something was now wrong with its system. Some fancy shit Billy didn't understand, but apparently something Dustin just _figured_ out one day. 

The right side of the car was _smashed_ into itself, like someone ran a red light _but_ the car wasn’t near an intersection, not when it was hit, and _not_ when it stopped fuckin’ rolling down the street, because that kinda damage only happens when a car _flips_ multiple times. The roof was caved, and the windows were smashed by the impact. They’d found the car, _upside down_ in the middle of the street and called Billy, 

He recalled their conversation, 

_Dustin’s voice filtered through the receiver, “Are you still with Steve?”_

_Confusion filled his chest, worry following close behind the feeling, “No? I’m almost home now.” Billy gripped his steering wheel, “Why kid?”_

_He heard a shuddering sigh in the background, and the panic started to engulf his lungs as Dustin muttered out a harsh sounding, “Shit.”_

_“Kid.” He slowed his car at a stoplight and waited for Dustin to fuckin’ answer him._

_“Can you come to the shop?” Dustin asked quickly, “I can explain better if you’re here.”_

_And proceeded to hang up the phone._

_Billy growled violently in his car, and turned his car around, not ever caring about the red light and blowing smoke off of the tires to go towards the shop, and he knuckles grabbed the shifter of the Camaro, shifting into each gear, taking the RPM’s high into the reds until he pulled into the shop to see a tow truck in the first bay,_

His face was still white. 

_Steve_ had been in that car, he’d been driving that car less than two hours ago, with Billy _inside_ with him. Listening to the worst music that Steve had been humming along to until he dropped him off. 

And now there was _no Steve_, and a car in pieces. 

Billy felt like he was vibrating out of his skin, _where_ the fuck was Steve?

That was Sunday night, It’s Thursday morning now. 

His teeth are still _itching_, and the veins running through his body, he _feels_ the blood running through them every time he walks into class and Steve’s seat is empty. 

And Robin's seat in the class he has with her is empty.

He’s been tryin’ to hear that voice all week, and he’s gotten nothin’, no phone call, no text message, nothin’. 

He wouldn’t be so worried, he _shouldn’t_ be fuckin’ worried, but he didn’t get a fuckin’ _reply._

And 

This friendship is new, but Billy would’ve _noticed_ if Steve Harrington stopped comin’ to class before all this happened, before they started hanging out, before he felt those lips on his _cheek,_

But that was Sunday

And it's Thursday now 

It’s cold, and he hasn’t seen Steve in 4 fuckin’ days, 

And 

Dustin told Billy that Steve was _fine_, but no one would explain anything else to him, ‘cause Billy saw the car that was _wrecked_, _demolished_, with Steve _inside_, 

And 

Billy didn’t get a _reply_, no response to his endless phone calls. 

He feels _crazy_. He hates feeling like his skin is in control, as it constantly hums over itself as he walks to the parking lot and he sees, he _sees_

Steve’s _motorcycle_

And 

It's Thursday, and Billy’s been waiting for Steve to let him know he’s okay, and his motorcycle is sitting in the parking lot. And its Thursday, and his class today doesn’t start for almost 3 hours, the class he doesn't have with Steve, but the bike is parked where it always is like it never _left_ but Billy knows it was missing. 

Missing for 4 fuckin’ days 

Billy went to class and was physically aware of the empty seat next to him and Steve’s here now, on campus like he didn’t miss classes, and he _knows_ that the professors would let someone with a last name like _Harrington_ slide. 

He’d heard all about _King Steve_ falling far from his throne before he arrived, because people _talked_ and then he’d met _King Steve_ and all Billy could think of was _Princess_, the word King, left his brain when those doe eyes found his for the first time on the _second_ day of class because the prettiest face he’d ever seen, sat in class like he was present but wasn’t ever really _there_. On the second day he’d noticed that Billy was seated right next to him, and those eyes widened, and Billy forgot how to breathe.

And 

Billy walked into the building and Steve is standing _right there._ Talking to the professor they share, in the class he hasn’t been to all week, in clothes that he _never_ wears in class, and he has a _brace_ over the entirety of his _knee_. His right leg has a brace on it, allowing him to walk without crutches, but it is the kinda brace that prevents some _motion_.

And 

Steve shifts around where the professor gestures for him to walk with him and Billy, Billy sees _red._

His _face_ is fucked up. He’s got _stitches_ in his fuckin’ cheek, right under his eye, his _eye_ that’s purple and blue and fading into a sickly yellow down his face. And the skin that’s _visible_ he sees little markings of what looks like _piercings_ from glass, in little bruises and pricks, but _but_ his black eye, looks like _someone_ put that there,

And 

Billy needs to talk to him right _now_.

“Harrington!” he yells out, and he can tell that Steve instantly stiffens, stiffens so _tight_ that the professor looks at him in concern, and Billy could give less of a fuck about the man that teaches them three times a week, and they don’t even have that class today, but Steve’s _here_ and he walks right up to him and intertwines their hands and turns around and walks out of the building. 

Ignoring the professors calls like they aren’t even happening.

And 

Steve’s walking a little slow, because he’s got a brace on his fuckin’ knee. And they get outside, when the cold hits his face, he ignores the fact that Steve _rode_ his bike with that shit on his leg, in _this_ weather and faces those _wide_ brown eyes, and watches pretty mouth open in surprise as he sees him excel his breathe by the white smoke it produces, because it's _cold_ outside, 

And 

He grabs his chin with the entirety of his hand, and tries not to growl, go _feral_ like an animal when Steve winces under the pressure of his hand, and looks into those brown eyes and asks, 

_“Who hurt you?”_

And he feels Steve’s heart stutter under the pulse where his hand grips his wrist, _tightly_ and Steve’s hand shakes a little bit and he looks down where the sleeve has ridden up from his jacket – and Billy’s vision goes back to the blood red haze it was before, when he sees that the skin is _raw_, and opens his mouth again, 

“I know Dustin’s stupid fuckin’ car got wrecked, with _you_ inside.” He seethes out, “Do not bullshit me _Stevie_.”

And 

Billy knows that Steve wants to _run_. Can see it in the way his body shakes with anxiety and Billy does feel a little bad, but he needs to know what happened, 

And 

“Steve!” Robins voice yells out, and Billy hears the audible sigh of relief come from those pretty pink lips and he grits his teeth in frustration, 

“You get everything you need?” she asks, and she has a _cast_ on her wrist.

And 

Steve speaks quietly, “I’m sorry I missed class, Rob and I went back home for a few days.” And Billy’s head whips back up to look at him again, “I’d rather not talk about it.”

And Steve squeezes Billy’s other hand, the one that’s _not_ holding his wrist, feeling the pulse quicken under his calloused palm, “I didn’t mean to worry you… my phones not doing so hot.” He said letting go and putting his hand into his pants pocket and pulling out the phone and showing Billy the phone and the screens _destroyed_, 

“Kinda got messed up in the wreck…”

And 

Billy knows a _lie_ when he hears one.


	6. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Repairing the car and the internal disaster that is Steve Harrington

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me: 
> 
> @ScentedBooks  
@steviebaby
> 
> Both on Tumblr :)
> 
> Comment and Kudos if you'd like

Steve was covered in sweat. 

Covered, in oil, and dirt, and overall looked like he hasn’t taken the time to relax since he’s gotten back from fuckin’ _Hawkins_. The hellmouth, _bullshit_ part of his life he wished would just bury itself deep into the ground. Go so far under that it would turn upside down. 

But it probably won’t. 

So here he is, working on getting the motor out of Dustin’s’ destroyed car, that he flipped eight times, down the damn street.

It’s not like he meant too. 

His fuckin’ hairs a mess, _Jesus_ he’s a mess, but he doesn’t care, because Dustin’s currently not talking to him, being a goddamn _baby_ about it. After he yelled and screamed for an hour when Steve and Robin got back to Miami, after being beatin’ _again_. Then started crying like he was the one hurt, which made Steve cry, and then Robin cried, 

And 

He’s been in the shop, all weekend. Takin’ anything that’s still useful out of the wrecked car to put it into a new car he bought, even if it ‘won’t be the same’ or whatever. 

Dustin will have to just deal with it. 

Because in the last two days, he dropped almost 20,000 dollars on a car that isn’t even _his_ but he’s the one who wrecked the thing, so he’s the one that has to pay for it, and he’s the one that has to fix it. 

And 

He just complaining. 

Because, he _knows_ that Dustin’s the only little shit that _cares_ enough, because he’s _family_. The only real family they both have left, besides Robin, Lucas, and even Jonathan. 

For fucks sake. 

The kids are both _seventeen_ now, and they race with him on the streets, and now he’s teaching another little shit to _drift_ a car he hit a wall with, goin’ 130 into a tunnel at night. And this kids _Billy’s_ sister. 

And 

They're both Hargrove’s, and Steve’s the _reason_ their dads rotting away in a cell, and the last time he spoke to Neil Hargrove, he _shot_ him after Jonathan hit him with his car for fuckin’ trying to kidnap _Lucas_ because the kid was black and needed to be dealt with or some fuckin’ bullshit that made Steve’s insides churn and his throat get tight, 

Because it was Steve’s _fault_, because Neil was a _cop_ from California or some shit, and he got transferred to Miami, and Lucas met Max, because Steve introduced them after he saw the gleam in Max’s eyes after he met her during a drift event on accident and told her he’d teach her how to play with the big dogs for money. 

And then he shot her fuckin’ dad.

And 

Turn, Clink, Turn, Clink 

The feeling of the tool in his hands as he removed the wheels off the mutilated car, was keeping him from have a full blown fuckin’ panic attack because, _because_ Steve was hanging out with his kids now. And they didn’t know Steve is the reason their dads in prison. 

And 

He removes the final wheel from the car where it sits on the lift, and they’re _fucked_, all four of the wheels have been scratched all to hell, and now he can relate to wheels being scratched because he’s scratched, because he flipped a car eight damn times. 

And 

He needs to focus.

And he needs to take his medicine, all this medicine for all his damn problems, but he needs to get this car done, because Dustin’s gotta race Sunday before he goes back to school Monday, 

Because he’s a senior now.

And 

The garage door opens, and Steve whips around and Billy’s standing _right there_ looking at Steve with a kinda dark look that makes him a little nervous. It looks like Billy’s looking through him with those blue, _blue_ eyes, taking in the state he’s in. Which is just overall _dirty_. Covered in oil and sweat from the heat inside the shop to keep the cold outside. And his hairs a _mess_, which makes Steve feel kinda embarrassed, because even though Billy’s now seen him with his face fucked up, and it still is kinda fucked up because the stitches haven’t come out yet. 

At least his hair didn’t look like what it does now. Messy and most likely all over the damn place. 

He hasn’t looked in a mirror for a _while_. 

And they maintain eye contact until Billy’s eyes drift down to where the brace on his leg is now gone, and scrunches his mouth into a slight sneer like he’s rememberin’ it or something and brings his eyes back up to Steve and the dark look comes back and Steve tilts his head in confusion because, 

What’s he…?

_Ohhhh_

The stitches.

Steve chuckles a bit, trying not to think about Billy being worried about him, Jesus Christ, and runs his hand through his disgusting hair and tries to hide his grimace, 

“C’mon, help me with this.” He points his finger to the 350z next to him, “Don’t just stand there.” It only takes a second before Billy walks forward but his eyes are still on Steve as he turns around to try and get the door to the car open,

He suddenly remembers what he’s wearing and tries not to freak the fuck out. He’s got a fucking tank top on, which means, it _means_ that the entirety of his arm is on display. And he’s wearing shorts which also means that Billy can see his leg, and the scars that run down them from monsters, Billy doesn’t know exist, and he scrunches his face, crinkles his nose, trying to hide that freak out, that can fuckin’ wait until he gets home. 

“What do you want me to do pretty boy?” Billy asks, eyes still locked on him, grin in place of his previous expression, that Steve refuses to notice.

Steve blows his hair out of his face and wipes his face to hide the blush that surely entering his face and replies, “I’ve gotta get the interior out, and put it in _that_.” Pointing at the other 350z sitting below his supra on another lift in the shop, “then, I’ve gotta put the motor in it, paint it so it doesn’t look ‘stupid’” he quotes with his fingers, “make sure its running strong so Dustin can race tomorrow night.”

Billy’s eyebrows raise, “You sure you can do that by tomorrow gorgeous?” 

Steve rolls his eyes, “Jonathans doing some of it tomorrow morning, because I’ll be with Max to help her practice, but yes I can get it done, I’m highly focused when I wanna be.” 

Billy scoffs with a smile on his face, 

“Plus, I have you now.” Steve states with a small smile, “If you know what you’re doin’ anyways.” He finishes with a smirk, with slightly pleading eyes. 

Steve knows that its not a good enough apology, he knows that Billy should say no and walk away, because, _because_ the look on Billy’s face when he had lied to him, and then left campus with Robin on Thursday was a dick move. Even he’s not stupid enough to know that Billy realized that he lied to him about something. 

Steve’s not good at a lot of things and lying is definitely one of them. He can’t maintain eye contact, and his voice goes real unsure. And he still did it anyways, because it keeps Billy safe. 

And 

Billy nods his head yes, “I’ll show you how it’s really done _Bambi_.”

Steve knows he’s fucked, 

He likes Billy Hargrove.


	7. Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy sees Max practice.   
He starts to get curious about the Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always kudos and comment if you'd like :)
> 
> Find me on Tumblr:  
ScentedBooks   
Steviebaby

It was Sunday morning, 

And Billy had spent the entirety of Friday and Saturday helpin’ Steve, helpin’ him put the good portions of the mutilated car that would take its place on the streets. 

Billy found himself slowly learning things about these vehicles that he never thought he’d need to learn, never wanted to learn anythin’ besides how to keep them runnin’. 

He’d spent years runnin’. Away from problems, and runnin’ away from his _father_, a man who made his life a living hell for years, and then made all of their lives a living hell by moving them across the country to another sunshine filled prison, and he had no choice but to follow.

And then one-night Neil never came home, about five months after they’d gotten to this new state, and right when Billy started at the new university, where his credits transferred, the night before Max’s first day at her new high school. The time of year where the wind would still cut through you, and even though they were both warm states, Billy always felt so fuckin’ cold.

So, when Neil didn’t come home one night, Susan was worried sick. Worried sick about what would happen when he finally came through the wooden door that separated their broken family from the sunshine that beat down on Miami, and then when he didn’t come home at _all_, her nerves were shot and Max hadn’t said a fuckin’ word in hours as Billy hid himself away in his room. 

And 

When a knock at the door sounded, sounded _nothin’_ like Neil would sound as Susan opened the door and they told her that Neil had been _arrested_ for a hate crime with kidnapping charged on someone underage, Max’s face had gone white and they told her that he’s recovering, from a _gunshot_ wound before he stands at the jury. 

And 

Susan opened her mouth and told them everything. 

Got Neil put away for a long time, and he still wants to thank the motherfucker who _shot_ Neil Hargrove. But they told him that information was classified, it was someone who was only there to get who he now knows was _Lucas Sinclair_.

And Max looks at him like he could light up the sky, because she was introduced to this world of fast cars and loud music before Billy even knew it existed. And now she’s learning to _drift_. She gets to fix a car that was made to go sideways and scream down the street, because that’s what Steve had been doing when he got shoved into a wall, goin’ 130 down a tunnel in the middle of the night, because some kid couldn’t handle the angle.

And 

He hasn’t seen her smile like that in years. As she listens to Steve talk,

“You learn by doin’ it. You gotta learn to drift by feelin’ it. I showed you how to do it, I even did it with you in the car, you just gotta feel it.” He clasped on the shoulder, “So feel it. We’ve got all day, only got plans for Dustin’s race tonight.”

The red EVO 9 was looking better each time he saw it, as he admired it, he heard Steve’s voice as Max took off around the corner, 

“Gonna need a new bumper by the end of today.” He yells with a smile.

Robin laughs, “I give it 20 minutes.” 

“She’s gettin’ better, just gets to ahead of herself.”

And he comes over to stand by Billy. He watches Lucas and Dustin bullshit back and forth from their chairs. Robin with her camera out to show Max exactly where she needs to improve her angles. Steve looks as Max comes back around and spins out before growling and doing it all over again. 

They’re by some half abandoned factory, with a pier next to it that no one ever uses, and it’s a warm day today compared to how the weather's been, how cold it had felt, none of them ever reacted to the temperature change while Billy felt like he was freezin’ to death,

_“We’re from Indiana, every season in one week baby.”_ Jonathan had stated with a laugh the last time he bitched about it.

He was curious though, 

“Why’re you doing this pretty boy?” 

“Hmm?” Steve questioned looking over to him. 

“The car, teaching her to drift and shit, lettin’ us see this other life of yours.”

Steve gave him a small smile, “I met Max at a drifting event few months back. She had this gleam in her eye, like she’d do anything to get behind the wheel of a car like that. Same look I had when I saw it for the first time up in Kentucky when I was 16. Her and Robin got to talkin’, Max said she didn’t wanna go home.”

Billy swallowed as Steve looked over at Lucas, 

“I introduced Max to Lucas, and a couple days later they show up to my shop together, and Max tells me she wants to learn. I agreed, told her I’d show her how to play with the big dogs for money.”

“And the car?” Billy asks

Steve smirks, “She represents me now, you think I’d let her roll around in just anything around here?”

Max comes around he corner again and gets so close that Billy feels Steve pull him back as the car comes around, so _close_ that he could touch the back of it with his bare hands, 

“Watch it Max!!” Billy yells as Steve laughs to himself, while Max goes around and smacks into a crate of wood before she keeps going around again. 

“She’s got a lot of fire.” Steve says to him, brown eyes gleaming, “She fits right in here, and you know? It seems like you do too.”

“Yeah?” Billy smiles, teeth gleaming, “Gonna let me be a part of your little group of nerds?”

Steve blush goes down those scars again, the ones down his neck, “I let you touch my cars L.A., don’t think you’ve got much of a choice now. You good with that?” 

Billy’s smile is blinding, “Wanna seal it with a race pretty boy?”

“Think you can keep up?” Steve replies, a little bratty, but clearly interested. 

“I’ve heard I can drive a stick really well.”

Steve’s laugh explodes out of him before he can stop it, “Then how could I possibly say no?”

“It’s a date then.” 

“Just tell me when bigshot.” Steve finishes with a gleam in his eye, “but for now, lets make sure your sister doesn’t fuck up that car more than needed."

Billy laughs. 

\--  
\--  
\--  
\--

Dustin’s race goes better than intended. He doesn’t win, but he shows amazing improvement according to Steve. Apparently, the kids only had his license for about a year. He loves the new 350z. Jonathan finished the car just before the race started, and the paint had settled from Steve painting the body while Billy was standing there watching his concentration as he covers it with a deep orange before showing Billy the decals that will not be put on the car until the middle of the week when someone has the time to do them. 

A name comes up that Billy doesn’t recognize when Dustin says, 

“I wish Will was here to see this shit, he’d love it. And Jane? Shit she’d be so excited about being here.”

Sadness crosses over Steve’s features before he schools them together, similar to what he did when Billy first confronted from outside of the classroom, when Steve had clearly been close to panicking, “Maybe they can come down here someday, I gotta feeling the first time I see Joyce again, she’s gonna yell at me.”

Interesting.


	8. An off day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Robin have a relaxing day together.   
Things are moving forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and their New Year brings them joy. 
> 
> Steve's POV

Things were easy, things were good, and Steve wasn’t feeling as though he was going to pass out at any given moment because of his strong aspects in horrific anxiety. 

Which was relatively nice. 

He was doing normal things that college kids should be doing, instead of hiding from people who apparently knew where he was, which let’s _not_ think about _that_ right now, and leave it hidden away with all the other issues, 

A normal college student. 

He was currently working on his biology homework, planning on following it up with a nice syllabus he needed to create for his education course before the next class rolled around later in the week, because he was a severe procrastinator at heart.

In the safety of his apartment he could _breathe_ and focus on mundane things such as homework, and due dates and hear the voice of Robin in the other room, commenting on whatever T.V show she was probably only half watching as she undoubtedly scrolled through her cellphone. 

He smiled to himself, he’d taken his medicine that morning like any person should, and didn’t plan to leave his apartment for the rest of day, 

Dustin had sent him a picture of his finished car this morning with a bunch of exclamation points because the boy had finally put the decals on the car, and then proceeded to try and get him to come to the beach because it was a beautiful day. 

But, _but_, today was a Steve and Robin day, and during those days where it was just them, they caught up on things that they had ignored during the weekend, where they went and had _fun_ in the streets of Miami. 

And those things for Steve contained his pile of homework from his classes and caging himself into his apartment where he was as safe as he could be, well in _his_ opinion anyways. 

“Dingus!” Robin’s voice yelled throughout the apartment, bringing him out of his focus and effectively sending him to walking towards the sound of her voice, which was underneath the comfort of her blanket on the couch, and he smiled before plopping down behind her and laying down underneath the blanket, 

“You’re warm.” He stated with a chuckle, making her huff and roll her eyes. 

“Take a picture with me.” She stated, moving her phone where it was the both of them in the shot, looking as best as they could in their pajamas, laying down together on the couch in the middle of the afternoon. 

He smiled towards the camera, matching her happy expression before the camera clicked and she immediately uploading the photograph to every social media platform, only tagging his second Instagram page from her second, before finally setting her phone down and directing her attention to the T.V in front of her. 

The silence was nice, the comfort that they were able to take from one another would probably never be understood by most of the people in their lives, _especially_ the people who were convinced that him and Robin were perfect for one another, and should start dating, since they _already_ lived together.

Which in Steve’s opinion sounded pretty awful, he loved Robin, Robin was his best friend, someone he could share anything with. And they _did_ share many things. Whether it be clothes, makeup, and neither of them could forget the trauma and PTSD that they definitely shared. But he was happy to have someone like Robin. 

Dustin was horribly jealous 90% of the time where Steve would choose to stay with Robin at the apartment rather than go to the beach with him and the remainder of the party, but he understood that their friendship was different, Steve and Dustin were _family_ now more than ever, and that kind of love was different, _is_ different. 

Robin’s phone pings, and she picks it up where it was forgotten on the blanket over the top of them and she cracks a smile and a small laugh, before shoving it in his face, 

And it's from Billy, 

_Stealing him from me Buckley?_

And Steve unlocks the phone for her, because he has her password, _of course_ he does and snaps another photo, just of him this time, snaps a picture of himself with a large happy smile, and then another with his tongue sticking out at the camera before pressing ‘send’ and adding a text message once they both say delivered, 

_Don’t worry L.A, last I checked we had a date coming up :)_

And all the messages say received, _read_, but Billy doesn’t reply, and Steve smiles to himself, a blush staining his face because he knows, he _knows_ he’s got a face that makes people stare at him. As he’s gotten older, he’s come to realize that a pretty face opens a lot of doors and it grabs attention in a room, if he smiles _just right_ and makes his eyes just a little brighter with eyeliner, or a stream of sparkle, he can use it to get anything he wants. 

Which in retrospect is kind of a terrible thing to do, but he knows, he _knows_ he’s pretty, that he’s got long legs that many men, and some woman he knows, _love_ to look at it, he doesn’t really care. No. He cares when people actually want to talk to him, to _him_ not just to leer at him. 

Like Billy does. 

Objectively he may not be the smartest, but Steve can make the connection that Billy thinks he’s attractive because hell, he calls him ‘Pretty boy’ and recently has started to call him ‘Princess’ which he enjoys _way more_ than he should, because wow.

Eh 

Everyone’s got their flaws, and apparently Steve’s is cute little pet names coming from someone with the bluest eyes he’s ever seen. 

“I’m hungry.” Robin states, taking him out of his thoughts, “And if you lay there any longer thinking about Billy, I’m gonna throw up.”

Steve rolls his eyes before pushing her off the couch and outright laughing when she squawks in outrage as she hits the floor, 

“C’mon, lets go to that little diner outside of campus.”

He winces a bit as he comes to his full height, where his leg throbs slightly but ignores it for walking into his room and changing into something that won't make him so self-conscious and putting on a black button down, and a pair of black pants that makes his ass look good before grabbing his jacket and meeting Robin in the living room once more where she’s complaining about the fact she’s going to wilt away if they don’t leave right now. 

She is ridiculous. 

She smiles bright and somehow sighs at the same time before pulling her phone back out and pointing it to him as he walks into the room, and he gives her an over exaggerated pout because he knows that she’s recording on snapchat as she starts speaking, 

“We’re just going to the diner he says, I’m just gonna change into someone else _real quick_ and comes back out in _this_, like he has a right to go everywhere looking like he’s about to walk the red carpet.” 

And he can’t help himself and laughs at her while she keeps recording, “It’s called style Rob, look it up sometime.” 

And she squawks again, much to his pleasure and walks up to her to flip the camera around before kissing her on the cheek in the frame, 

“C’mon, you look fine, now let’s go before you really wilt away.” 

“Yes, your highness.” She cackles and stops recording. 

They start their short walk to the diner and the older lady they usually have as a server is there and she gives them both a motherly smile before taking them to their normal booth and they sit across from one another before ordering their usual. 

Not long after, the waitress comes back to their table, and leans down so she can talk to them more privately, 

“Last night.” She whispers with a start, “Couple guys came in here, and I heard them say both of your names. I don’t want to know why, and I don’t want to worry you both, but they left in a big SUV before they left.” 

Robin and Steve look at one another in a silent conversation, before Robin smiles and thanks her tightly, smacking a couple 20 dollar bills on the table as Steve pulls out his phone and dials Jonathans number as he waves the woman goodbye, and she gives him a stern stare that screams for him to be careful. 

They exit the diner and start their walk back to the apartment to get Robin’s car when Jonathan answers his phone, 

“Hello?” 

“Get the party together, we’re running out of time.” He states into the phone sternly, not bothering in responding, “Rob and I will be at the shop in 20.”

“Got it, be careful Steve.” 

“You too Jon.”

He hangs up the phone and puts it back into his pocket as they turn the corner to see an SUV outside of their apartment, 

“Fuck.” Robin hisses, “That has to be them.” Stopping him in his tracks and pushing them both back around the corner. 

Steve looks around for a way out of there, and sees a motorcycle before grabbing Robins hand and running towards it as quiet as possible before swinging his leg over, and looking for a key, 

It’s in the ignition. 

Maybe his luck isn’t as shit as he thought. 

He starts the bike, and Robin holds onto him after she gets on and he wastes no time in taking off into the direction of the shop. 

Their going fast, swerving through traffic, to put as much distance in between them and their apartment as possible. Robin grips to him tighter as they pass campus, pass _Billy’s apartment_ and he feels his phone in his pocket vibrate as Robin squeezes his waist and now, he knows that Billy saw them both speed past.

_Fuck_

15 minutes later they’re driving into the shop, where one of them had opened the doors, it closes behind him and they both hop off the bike, where everyone, the _entire_ party is standing in the middle bay staring at him and Robin before he finally speaks, 

“It’s time to find and bring everyone home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter didn't feel to much like rambling, but I thought a nice break of a chapter would be nice before things really started. 
> 
> I do not plan on this fic being to super long, so we will be getting to some fun stuff pretty soon.


End file.
